Covenant of Antarctica
“This is it, Maximilian. The world has abused our gifts for long enough. Now they must pay the price…” - Lord Sturgeon to War Master Schneider, Archimedes Grange, Wells Chasm, Antarctica, 1870 The Covenant of Antarctica is the most advanced nation to grace the world of Dystopian Wars. A nation dedicated to science, they have only existed for a few years, but have had an effect on the world all out of proportion with what their population would suggest. Pre-War History Founding Founded in 1857 by the scientist Lord Barnabas Draynes Sturgeon, the Covenant of Antarctica is based around Wells Chasm, the source of many of the advanced technologies seen in the world of Dystopian Wars. The Chasm was originally discovered by Lord Sturgeon and his good friend Leonidas as they explored the continent of Antarctica from the Eye of Reason, a modified Britannian Doncaster aeroplane, although reaching the site on foot would prove a difficult and dangerous expedition. Inside the Chasm, Sturgeon and his expedition found the Vault, an underground complex made of strange metals, containing many wonders. Confident that these wonders would prove his success to the Royal Society, Sturgeon returned to Britannia with some new chemical formulae and samples of the blue-green crystal present in large amounts in the chasm. But it was not to be. Proving that they didn't know what was good for them, the Royal Society laughed him out of the room. In an equally sensible display, Sturgeon renounced his Britannian citizenship and returned to Antarctica to build a new nation. He was joined by a collection of nobles, adventurers and mercenaries, including Maximillian Schneider, who would go on to become Warmaster of the Covenant. It was during 1853, as the Antarctican colony grew, that the Covenant, from which the nation draws its name, was created. This document established the Covenant of Antarctica as a technocratic autocracy and laid down the rights of its citizens. Every citizen must be able to read, understand and sign the Covenant. The Covenant of Antarctica finally became a nation in its own right in 1857, with the completion of the city of Wells Chasm and its declaration as the capital of the Covenant. From this point on, the Covenant would begin to share the gifts of their discoveries with the world. This all went surprisingly well, but that was all about to cahnge. Markov's Betrayal Markov, originally one of Sturgeon's closest friends, member of the council, and one of the original discoverers of the vault, but was originally a spy for the Russian Tsar. During the pre-war phase Markov bribed a plan against Sturgeon and the Covenant. This plan was not intended to take over the Covenant but to make a distraction for his escape. Lady Drakenburg discovered this conspiracy and mobilized a force to take Markov down. Unfortunately this failed as Markov started the riot, resulting in a "civil war" between the people of the Covenant and the people of Markov. Lady Drakenburg pursued Markov trough Wells Chasm but he escaped in a prototype submarine together with Veronique Dubois and some other members of his inner circle. Markov disappeared for a while, until the Russian Coalition began turning up with some highly advanced technologies. Of course, other nations responded with new technologies of their own. Not to be outdone, Lord Sturgeon was not a fan of going into a world war with the rest of all the nations but he couldn't ignore the fact that his plan for a worldwide utopia was failing and the man and woman of the Covenant were willingly to fight for the glory of their new nation and bringing the world back to peace as it should be. World War history Dominion Physically, the Covenant is one of the world’s largest single nations, claiming as it does the entire Antarctican landmass. However, much of this vast and desolate continent, especially its interior, remains little explored. Much of the Covenant’s relatively small population is concentrated around the great peninsula that juts out of the western coast of the continent towards the tip of South America, in settlements spread along its length towards the city of Wells Chasm deeper in the interior. Many of these towns have grown up around the sites of the original staging camps used by Sturgeon’s expedition as they travelled slowly across the snow-swept wastes towards the chasm by land. The two largest settlements in the Covenant are Wells Chasm itself and Aristotle Harbour far out on the Antarctican peninsula and the site of Sturgeon’s first landing on the wild continent. Both are thought to house populations in excess of fifteen thousand, substantially bigger than any other in the Covenant, although there are thought to be numerous smaller townships and bases scattered around the coastal areas of Antarctica. Antarctican towns are like no others in the world. Such is the hostility of the environment that all settlements are at least partially buried in the ice and rock, well-insulated in order to preserve every scrap of precious heat. The Covenant utilises much of the knowledge gleaned from the Vault to sustain its civilisation. Subterranean farms provide nourishing foodstuffs for sustenance, and fish are farmed in specially constructed lakes, carefully temperature-controlled to keep the water in a liquid state. Travel between settlements is achieved mainly by autogyro aircraft, or via a network of railway-equipped tunnels burrowed through the rock by ingenious mole-machines. Mining is an important industry in Antarctica, for the continent is rich in minerals of all kinds; one in particular is the source of much of its power; the mysterious Element 270, a bluish-green crystalline substance found in great thick veins that seem to radiate out from the Vault in all directions. Also known as Sturginium (much to Lord Sturgeon’s embarrassment) the element is a dangerous substance, but its properties, especially when combined with metals, are nothing short of miraculous. Although deposits of Element 270 have been found worldwide in the years since its existence was confirmed, the largest known deposits are in Antarctica itself. Outside of Antarctica, the Covenant governs no land apart from the tiny island of South Georgia, formerly a Britannian territory. Now it is almost wholly occupied by a semi-subterranean town serving a substantial harbour, known as The Gateway. This settlement serves as the Covenant’s primary source of contact with the outside world. The Covenant’s fleets guard its home waters vigilantly, as many stray whaling crews will attest – only at The Gateway are foreign ships permitted to dock, and the town also serves as the home of the foreign embassies to the Covenant, making it a place that seethes with political intrigue and espionage. Everyone, however, is very careful to remain on the good side of the Covenant – to cross them on their own lands would be tempting fate indeed! Government Though the Covenant is not a democracy, Sturgeon does not see himself as a dictator. Together with his coterie, he devised a set of laws by which he and his compatriots would govern their new nation, and a list of rights bestowed upon, and responsibilities expected of, every citizen of Antarctica. This is the actual Covenant after which the nation is named, and which every citizen is expected to be able to read and understand. New citizens are educated in the meaning of the Covenant, and are expected to swear allegiance to it. For the most part, citizens remain loyal, for Sturgeon treats his people well in return for their loyalty, and the Covenant grants a considerably greater number of liberties to Antarcticans than they would enjoy as inhabitants of most other nations. However, as the betrayal and flight of the dissenter Markov in 1866 proved, there is no such thing as a true utopia. The current Coterie is: * Warmaster Maximillian Schneider '- Leader of the Covenant military * '''Lord Leonidas '- Chief of Physics * '''Lady Elizabeth - Chief of Chemistry * Lord Rense - Chief of Biology * Lord Oleg - Chief of Alchemy * Lady Julianna - Mistress of Politics * Lord Pennyson - Master of Engineers * Lady Drakenburg '- Castellan of Wells Chasm, head of the Covenant Intelligence Service This said, the rule of the Antarcticans is tempered by the ''Covenant of Antarctica itself; the document was crafted by Sturgeon and his followers in the earliest days of the settlement, and lays down the laws and principles that the nation abides by. Every Antarctican citizen is required to read, understand and sign the Covenant. '''Foreign Relations Prior to the World War, Antarctican diplomats were present in every major nation across the world, and its scholars and academics taught at a number of international institutions. Sturgeon himself made few state visits prior to 1870, but one of the most significant was in 1863 to Constantinople, to attend the coronation Sultan Suleiman. During this visit Sturgeon gifted additional technology to the Ottoman empire, inducing rudimentary drone systems and weather-control generators. The Covenant closed its borders just prior to the outbreak of the World War in 1869, and recalled all of its visiting academics and diplomats. As of 1872, the only still functioning Covenant Embassy is in the Commonwealth of Free Australia. This embassy is one of two locations (the other being The Gateway) that allows emigration to the Covenant, and also forms as a point of contact allows the Covenant to hire Free Australian Contractual Fleets to augment its forces. Although Free Australia is the only "official" foreign relation of the Covenant, a few other nations retain ties with the Covenant , one such nation being the Ottoman Empire. Although not officially recognised, the Ottomans 'look the other way' to several Covenant expeditions in the East African areas of the Empire. Military Forces The ground infantry force of the Covenant is limited. The whole military force of the Covenant consist out of roughly 15000 human soldiers. Al tough the Covenant force is small, every single soldier, or known as Commando, is an elite fighter who can survive and fight on their own. The Covenant Force structure is made out of so-called Cohorts, each roughly 150 men strong. Because of the limited on these elite commandos the Covenant also makes use of the so called Automatas. These Automatas are humanoid Drones who support the Commandos on the battlefield. The Covenant Force is a combination of humans and drones who operate together on the battlefield. Covenant Commando Officers The officer corps of the Covenant of Antarctica is the smallest professional military body of all the major world powers. Reliant chiefly on an intake of experienced mercenary commanders, the various ranks of the organization have only recently begun filling out with professional soldiers born and raised in the Covenant. Under the steady hand of War Master Maximillian Schneider, entrance into the Covenant’s officer training programmes necessitates five years of service with the Covenant prior to actually taking Covenant citizenship, and at least a further two years afterwards. On the battlefield, Covenant officers lead elite teams of highly trained commandos in surgical strikes on key objectives around the globe. Antarctican officers, whilst therefore given greater operational freedom and being individually more skilled than their counterparts, are also under far greater degrees of pressure: supply lines can be long to non-existent, objectives difficult, and the resources to achieve them limited and precious. A successful Covenant commander therefore learns when to employ his high cost and fragile elite units, and when to rely on more expendable drone forces to achieve lesser objectives. To ensure maximum devastation, Covenant strike teams employ a wide variety of highly advanced weapons; of which the officers have first choice. Many chose to carry the flexible Sirius Energy Pistol, although others continue to employ the Proxima Energy Blaster. Commandos The elite commandos of the Covenant War Fleets are some of the most highly trained infantry ever fielded in the history of warfare. Many are veterans from other militaries, or else are professional mercenaries who have transferred their allegiance to a more permanent home. All of these men and women have many years of fighting experience, and have benefited hugely from the punishing training programme they are subjected to when wishing to join the commando force. Whereas soldiers of other powers are expected to engage in what are effectively stand-up engagements, facing toe-to-toe with their opposite number in most situations, the Commandos spend much of their time training for far more stealthy roles. Theirs is the task to trek across wilderness, infiltrate strongholds and strike from O-Space translocation against all manner of targets deemed important by the Covenant’s strategists. For each scientist or laboratory eliminated, so they are told, the world comes one step closer to peace. When engaged in larger battles, which they cannot at all times avoid, these soldiers act in support of their Automata counterparts, adding an element of flexible versatility to the unwieldy metal ranks that engage in most of the fighting. Often tasked by their commanders to seize vital objectives or eliminate specific enemy strongpoints, commandos are equipped with the very best that Antarctica can manufacture. Most carry the Vulkan Carbine, a short-ranged weapon of exceptional high quality and impressive stopping power. Specialists carry more esoteric weapons, such as the Proxima Energy Blaster for added anti-ironclad effectiveness. As skilled as they are, Covenant commandos are not limitless; and Antarctica can sometimes struggle to make good the loss of even a single squad. Therefore, these elite troops are rely on supporting arms to clear the way to the objective, avoiding the gruelling attrition fights that are the lot of the Great Power infantryman. Automatas Designed by Monique Dubois and a dedicated team of scientists at Wells Chasm, the battlefield combat Automata is a modern adaptation of the larger Iron Men employed by the War Fleets. Constructed of durable sturginium treated alloys the Automata chassis stands nearly seven feet tall, and incorporates the latest in miniaturized actuators and power-supplies. Without need of rest or sleep, and easily stowable, battlefield Automata are War Master Schneider's answer to the Covenant's ever present manpower shortage... with factories able to produce theoretically limitless numbers of these machines, more valuable human warriors can be held in reserve for when their flexibility and training will have the greatest impact. The most dramatic innovation for these drones is the logic engines mounted in their 'heads'. These cog-and-gear devices are intricate examples of Vault derived technology, and allow the drones to react independently of a controller to their environment. They are also capable of processing verbal orders, although it is still far more effective to override the logic engines' mechanisms with a standard drone control device than rely on the still young technology. As basic line infantry, Automata can maintain the pressure on the foe for as long as they remain in working order. Armed with Altair energy rifles of a size too large to be employed by mere humans, serried ranks of these metal men advance on the foe and obliterate them at the behest of their makers. Whilst some in the Coterie, including the High Lord, express some qualms about the use of such machines, the War Master and his fellow officers harbour no such doubts. If they could employ only drones to bring an end to the World War they would quite happily do so... and nothing would delight Schneider more than to see Markov dragged back to Antarctica by cold steel hands. Rotor Sphere Drones Acting in support of the main battle-line, Covenant sphere drone arrays are employed throughout the world as sentries and battlefield auxiliaries. Based on designs found amidst the many blueprints stored in the Vault, these relatively basic machines are built around a simple rotor-drive and repulsor plate hull that permits them to effortlessly glide above the battlefield. The two current models employed are the Rotor Gun Drone and Rotor Support Drone, both of which are shipped in their hundreds wherever the War Fleets intend to fight. The former model has a fixed hull-mounted Proxima energy blaster for direct gunfire support, albeit with added mobility given the drone's ability to skim over terrain. The second common variant has a dedicated range-finding imagifier, with the space saved given over to a miniaturized shield generator. Unlike combat Automata, rotor drones do not mount an internal logic engine, and their rudimentary sensors can make only limited decisions based on pre-determined parameters. As a result they generally take to the field as part of a drone controller coterie, whose skilled manipulation of all the Covenant's automated units makes them a superb addition to any platoon. Drone Controllers Drone Controllers are old commandos, officers or offensive engineers who took the job as one of the key roles in the Covenant force. Drone Controllers are tasked with the duty to enhance the effectiveness of the Drones fielded by the Covenant force. By effectively hijacking the radiographic antenna of any drone in the vicinity, these skilled technicians can give automated units a greater sense of purpose that is otherwise lacking in the machine-logic when functioning autonomously. As valuable professionals, drone controllers are always accompanied by a coterie of autonomous bodyguards to protect their charges in the heat of combat. Often advancing just behind the metallic ranks of the platoon, the rotor drones of the section provide fire-support, reconnaissance and defensive support to all nearby squads. On more than one occasion, however, these units have become offensive weapons in their own right, leading the advancing sections of Automata to victory. Weapons and Gear The Covenant employs a wide array of weapons on the battlefield. Their trademark weapons are the Energy Weapons. As in Dystopian Wars most vessels are or can be equipped with Radiant Energy Cannons, weapons that have a constant fire power over extreme ranges. In Dystopian Legions the Covenant also employs Energy Weapons which have a great ability in penetrating the enemies shields. Weapons MK7 Vulcan Carbine: The MK7 Vulcan Carbine (also known as the Wells Gun) is a full automatic suppressed assault carbine. This weapon is the basic firearm for the Covenant Commandos. It is a reliable and high quality weapon with incredible good stopping power thanks to the Sturginium enhanced ammunition. This weapon can be used excellent in the missions of the Commandos. Sirius Energy Pistol: The Sirius Energy Pistol is an energy weapons mostly wielded by Drone Controllers and Officers. This weapon fires beam of energy over a short range with a good amount of stopping power against infantry. Most officers prefer this weapon for its good stopping power and for the use in Hand-to-Hand combat. Drone Controllers are given this weapon more for self-defence reasons because they are most of the time protected by their Drones. Altair Energy Rifle: The Altair Energy Rifle is an energy weapon wielded mostly by the Automata Combat Drones. This weapon is the little brother of the Rigel Heavy Energy Rifle. The Altair fires more focused and precise beams of energy over a longer range compared to the Proxima. Although the range and accuracy is better than Proxima, its stopping power is worse than that of the Proxima. The Altair is mostly used as a long ranged support weapon but can also be used as an assault weapon in the steel hands of the Automatas. Proxima Energy Blaster: The Proxima Energy Blaster is an energy weapon employed by Commando Specialists, NCOs and some Officers and is the internal weapon of the Rotor Gun Drones. This weapon fire thicker beam over a medium range. Because of the thicker energy beams, this weapon is perfect for taking down infantry who are standing in formation. Compared to its counterpart, the Altair Energy Rifle, the Proxima has better stopping power against infantry but it’s lacking the range of the Altair. Covenant Force prefer this weapon for its range and anti-infantry power. Various Melee Weapons: The Covenant Force employ a wide range of melee weapons. From the Sturginium strengthened combat knifes of the Commandos to the Stuginium strengthened Mace wielded by the Officers. Drones mostly use their own power as a melee weapon. Protection & Field Gear MK2 Sturginium Combat Suit: This suit is equipped by almost all Covenant infantry forces. The suit is made out of Sturginium strengthen steel that covers most of the body, the head, shoulders, lower arms and side hips. Despite the very good protection the suit is granting, it is also very light in weight due to the influence of Sturginium. Drone Relay Backpack: ''The Drone Relay Backpack is a short distance radio wave based device that allows Drone Controllers to override the internal logic engine of Drones on extreme ranges. These Drone Relays are carried by commandos and are tasked with staying close to Drones when they are not accompanied by a Drone Controller. These Relays are very cumbersome but only specially trained commandos are allowed to carry these relays. This training teaches them how to stay just as effective as the other commandos even when carrying the Drone Relay. ''Remote Drone Controller: ''The Remote Drone Controller is a handheld device connected to a Drone Relay backpack. This device allows Drone Controllers to override the internal logic engine of the Drone section a Controller is joined. With this device Drone Controllers can fine tune all nearby Drones and let them adapt to any situation necessary. This device is also based on radio wave communication from the Remote Controller to the Relay. ''Tank Mines: These small handheld Sturginium enhanced explosives are standard given to Commandos to take down Ironclad with more ease. ''Flashbangs: ''These non-lethal grenades are used to confuse and disorientate enemies who are in cover when engaging them in melee. This takes away the enemies cover advantage so that the Commandos have less trouble when engaging them.